New experiences in Ecuador...

It was the opening of Mashpi Lodge , an eco-aware and architecturally unique hideaway deep in the Ecuadorian cloud forest, last year that tempted travellers seeking luxuries such as bathtubs and spa treatments away from Quito and into the wilds of Ecuador. The news that the 1908 Trans-Andean Railway had been reopened, connecting the capital with the port city of Guayaquil and opening up a whole new area to explore, soon followed. This month, the 18-suite M/V Anakonda will start sailing from El Coca (a 30-minute flight from Quito) down the Ecuadorian Amazon to Yasuni National Park. Along the way, there's the chance to canoe on white waters, trek through the forest and witness the downright bizarre: pink river dolphins, three-toed sloths, squirrel monkeys, water monkey fish and 'stinky turkeys' can all be spotted here. For more information, visit www.anakondaamazoncruises.co...